If your child’s health care provider prescribes the liquid form of Oseltamivir, brand name Tamiflu, to treat your child’s flu, pay particular attention to how you dose the medication.
The dosing syringe that comes with the manufacturer’s liquid formulation is marked in milligrams (mg), not in the customary milliliters (ml) or teaspoons (tsp).
Also, be aware that if your pharmacist makes up a liquid version from the tablets (because the liquid formulation is in short supply), the concentration (amount of medicine per amount of liquid volume) is different than what the manufacturer makes. The manufacturer makes 12mg/ml and the commonly used recipe your pharmacist will use for making a liquid formulation makes a 15mg/ml formulation.
Confused? Before you leave the pharmacy with Tamiflu, just make sure you clarify the proper amount to give with your pharmacist.
Naline Lai, MD and Julie Kardos, MD
©2009 Two Peds in a Pod®
